Abstract: The purpose of education is character building, fostering a culture of curiosity,empathy and leadership among its students. School Leadership Programmes play a significantrole in improving teaching learning process in school education. In the school system,leadership is generally accepted as having a critical role in supporting school improvement.Research studies reveal that the effect of leadership is more pronounced in schools that are indifficult circumstanceswith limited resources coupled with increased expectations from parentsand community. This calls for equipping school leaders with surfeit of skills and knowledgethat enable them to critically analyze the challenges faced by and opportunities available toschool in the prevailing conditions (NUEPA, 2014).The studies also emphasize the interventionof a powerful leader who can navigate and negotiate the challenging contexts to lead schoolsand improve student learning. These evidences support the belief that leadership is the key toschool improvement and in bringing about improvement in student achievement. With thecurrent changing expectations from schools wherein there is a renewed thrust on improving thequality of education, the role of an instructional leader demands attention. The present articlediscusses the education policy thrust areas on the role of leadership for improving studentlearning in the Indian school context; and explores innovative practices to improve schoolleadership progrmmes with a view to bring about quality in school education.